UH System Board of Regents Approves FY2015, FY2016 Tuition Rates

In its efforts to bolster graduation rates and help students financially navigate future semesters, the University of Houston-System Board of Regents approved tuition rates for fiscal years 2015 (FY2015) and 2016 (FY2016).

In a historic move, the board approved systemwide four-year fixed rates to assist students in graduating early or on time. These optional rates will be available to first-time in college students and undergraduate transfer students entering UHS institutions in the fall semesters. These rates were developed in response to a policy decision from the Texas Legislature requiring universities to offer four-year fixed tuition plans this year.

Undergraduate students entering UH, UH-Clear Lake (UHCL), UH-Downtown (UHD) or UH-Victoria (UHV) in fall 2014 will have the option of participating in a four-year fixed tuition plan. At UH, these rates are part of the new UH in 4 initiative, which requires students to complete 30 semester credit hours during an academic year. Students who elect not to participate in a four-year fixed rate plan will pay variable rate tuition.

Four-year fixed rates were developed with the assumption that variable rate tuition will increase at a rate of 2.2 percent over the next four years.

UHV will apply tuition revenue to adding new faculty, expanding scholarships, enriching student life initiatives, bolstering its information technology resources and supporting off-campus programs in Fort Bend County and The Woodlands, Texas.

In 2013, UH and UHD were recognized as two of the most affordable universities in Texas by the Online College Database. In its list of 23 most affordable universities, UH and UHD respectively ranked 9th and 10th. The Princeton Review ranked UH as a “best value” university in 2013 and cited it as one of the top institutions for graduating students with the least amount of debt.

UH currently offers a net price calculator designed to help students predict and understand their education costs and incentive programs, such as the Cougar Promise and the tuition rebate program. The Cougar Promise guarantees free tuition and mandatory fees to new in-state freshmen with family incomes at or below $45,000. The $1,000 tuition rebate program provides incentive to undergraduates who meet eligibility requirements, including graduating within four calendar years for four-year degrees. The development of these programs and the upcoming fixed tuition model is largely in response to rising tuition rates statewide, fueled by long-term decreasing support from state revenues.